Aljamain Sterling explains why he should face Lerone Murphy in a No. 1 contender fight

Aljamain Sterling believes a fight against Lerone Murphy makes the most sense.

The featherweight title picture is murky as Sterling, Murphy, and Movsar Evloev all could get the next title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. However, Sterling believes Evloev – who’s undefeated – should get the shot, and he should face Murphy in a No. 1 contender bout.

“You beat a Bellator guy brodie, ran circles from Emmett, and have 2 finishes your whole UFC career. I’m a 3x defending former champ, beat a 2x title challenger, almost 3x the UFC wins than you. Brother, I am next. My name makes perfect sense and I can show you a miracle,” Sterling responded to Murphy on X.

Aljamain Sterling doesn’t understand why Lerone Murphy thinks he shouldn’t be in the title picture. Instead, the former bantamweight champ believes that fight makes the most sense.

“Somehow I (have) 3x as many fights as him lol. This ain’t leapfrogging,” Sterling added.

Aljamain Sterling is ready to face whoever

Although Sterling wants to fight Murphy, he is open to any fight.

Aljamain Sterling says he will accept any fight the UFC offers him, regardless of whether it is a title shot or not. But, regardless of who he fights, Sterling knows it will be a tough challenge for him.

“I like Murphy. He has an interesting style to problem solve. But to say my name doesn’t belong in the mix is showing his insecurities,” Sterling wrote. “I’ve never turned down a fight. We will see what the bosses and Volk wants to do… They’re all threats. Everyone in the Top 15 is a dawg at 145. There’s risks with any match up for all of us. Fair play to whoever gets the next shot. But I will be ready if that phone rings.”

Aljamain Sterling is 25-5 as a pro and coming off a win over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai. He’s ranked fifth at featherweight.